Self-erecting dispensing carton



Feb. 7, 1961 l. H. FOWLE ETAL 2,970,740

SELF-ERECTING DISPENSING CARTON Original Filed June 7. 1957 2 Sheets-She et 1 FIG.| FIGZ 20 INVENTORS IRVING H.FOWLE FRANCIS J. EMM IMG ER BY MW MW ATTORNEYS United States PatentOHice 2,970,740 Patented Feb. 7, 1961 A SELF-ERECTING DISPENSING CARTON Original application June 7, 1951, Ser. N6. 664,286. and this application Apr. 30, 1958, Ser. No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-38) This invention relates to cartons and. more particularly, to cartons which may be folded flat for shipping and then unfolded for use.

A major object of this invention is to provide an automatic bottom for folding cartons which snaps into position upon opening or unfold.ng of the carton from a flat position whereby the carton becomes self-erecting.

A further object is to provide a carton having a top closure which may be formed into'a shoulder for suspending the carton without exposing the contents at the top opening.

Another object is to provide a plurality of openings in at least one wall of the carton to expose an area on each one of the articles contained in the carton.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a carton which may serve as a dispenser for the articles contained therein.

In the attainment of the foregoing objects, a feature of this invention resides in a structure including two flaps on one end of the carton which are provided with diagonal score lines upon which the carton is folded in its collapsed condition, and locking means which serve automatically to lock the flaps together when the carton is unfolded or opened into its article-containing condition.

Another feature resides in a cover flap having a plurality of successive panel sections which, in one position form a normal closure for an end of the carton, but, in

a second position, two of the panel sections may be of the carton partially unfolded;

Fig. 2 is an end view, as in Fig. 1, wherein the bottom i of the carton is more fullyopened;

Fig. 3 is an end view showing the bottom of the carton still further opened and the flaps beginning to engage each other;

Fig. 4 is an end view showing the bottom of the carton fully opened and the flaps locked in place;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the carton showing the bottom opened to reveal the component parts of the flaps;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the suspending shoulder on the top flap of the carton and openings in the rear wall of the carton for exposing areas of the articles contained in the carton;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 66 in Fig. 6 showing the top flap arranged to provide a suspending shoulder for the carton;

Fig. 8 shows one'of the articles which may be contained in the carton; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the top flap of the carton.

With reference to the drawings, carton 10 has a front wall 12, a rear wall 14, and side walls 16 and 18. At the intersection of each of these walls with one another there is provided a fold or score line 20 so that carton 10 may be folded into a flattened condition. As best indicated in Fig. 5, when carton 10 is in a flattened condition, rear wall 14 would remain stationary while side wall 18 would pivot downwardly to the left about the fold line 20 be tween side wall 18 and rear wall 14. In folding downwardly, front wall 12 and side wall 16 would become positioned in the same plane to overlie rear wall 14 and side wallj18 which would also be in a common plane.

Figs. 1 through 4 show the bottom of carton 10 in various stages of being opened from its flattened position into its most fully opened position. The bottom of carton 10 is provided with flaps 22 and 24 which extend from the bottom edges of different pairs of adjacent walls of carton 10. Flap 22 is joined to edges 26 and 28 while flap 24 is joined to edges 30 and 32.

Flap 22 is divided by a perforated score line 34 into portions 36 and 38, while flap 24 is divided by score line 40 into portions 42 and 44. Score line 34 bisects the angle between edges 26 and 28, and score line 40 bisects the angle between edges 32 and 30. Formed on portion 36 .of flap 22 is a projection 46 and an adjacent notch 48,

while portion 42 is provided with a correspondingly shaped projection 50 and notch 52.

Fig. 1 shows carton 12 partially unfolded and flaps 22 and 24 are shown in a partially flattened position, projecting inwardly into the carton (i.e., into the paper). Fig. 2 shows flaps 22 and 24 unfolding even more, While Fig. 3 shows the carton almost fully opened and projections 46 and 50 beginning to engage each other. Fig. 4 shows the carton fully opened with opposed sides parallel and flaps 22 and 24 interlocked by the engagement of projections 46 and 50 and notches 48 and 52. Notch 52 receives projection 46 so that projection 46 slides into place againstthe inner surface 54 of portion 42 below notch 52, while, in a similar manner, projection 50 is received in notch 48 to allow projection 50 to slide into position against the inner surface 56 of portion 36 beneath notch 48. As best shown in Fig. 4, it can then be seen that flaps 22 and 24 are interlocked to maintain the carton in an open condition. Inner edges 58 and 60 of projections 46 and 50, respectively, will bear against each other to restrain the carton 10 from reverting to its folded condition.

The relative movements and interactions of the various components of the bottom of the carton 10 can best be described by the reference to Figs. 1 through 4. When carton 10 is fully flattened (not shown), portions 36 and 38 of flap 22 are folded respectively against the inner surfaces of walls 12 and 18, and portions 42 and 44 of flap 24 are folded respectively against the inner surfaces of walls 14 and 16. As carton 12 is unfolded, flaps 22 and 24 begin to move both outwardly from carton 10 and laterally with respect to each other. As projections 50 and 46 begin to unfold and move outwardly, they engage each other so that further outward movement is restrained. But as the carton is furtherunfolded, pressure builds up between the projections so that at the point in lateral movement when the projections on each flap are in such a position that edges 58 and 60 are in alignment, a slight additional lateral movement in the same direction causes projection 46 to snap into notch 52 and slide into engagement with inner surface'54, and likewise causes projection 50 to snap into notch 48 and slide into engagement with'inner surface 56. Therefore, it can be seen that flaps 22 and 24 are interlocked and that edges 58 and 60 onprojections 46 and 50,-respectively, will bear against each other to prevent the flaps and the carton from reverting to its original folded condition.

Fig. 5 shows a convenient way of forming the flaps 22 gem-74o and 24 illustrated inFigs. 1 and 4, inclusive. Portions 44 and 38 of flaps 22 and. 24 include fiapssubportions 62, 64 and 62a, 64a, respectively. Subportion 62 is divided into areas 66 and 67 by the perforated score line 68. In like manner subportion 62a is dividedinto areas.66a and 67a by a perforated score line 68a. Theinte'rarelation ships of these subportions to form the flaps 22'and 24 will now be described for the position of carton shown in Fig. 4; i.e., the carton is fullyopened and the fiaps are interlocked to form the bottom on the carton.

With reference to the right hand side of'the bottom of {carton 10, as shown in Fig. 5, subportion 62 extending from edge 32 is swung inwardlytothe left as to close the open bottom end of carton 10. Flap portion 42 carrying flap subportion 64 is then turned upwardly so that subportion 64 overlies the outer surface of area66 and portion 42 overlies the outer surface ofarea 67. Glue or other fastening means my then be applied to the inner surface of subportion 64 and the outer surface of area 66 in order to secure subportions 62 and 64 together. When the subportions are thus secured together, .it is noted that score line 68 coincides with score line 40 so that carton 10 may be folded andunfolded .as previously described. It is to be understood that subportions 62a and 6411 are fastened together in a like manner to form flap 22.

At the upper end of carton 10 is a flap generally designated as 70. As shown in Fig. 9, the flap 70 extends from the upper edge of rear wall 14 and is provided with three successive score lines defining sections of the flap. The score lines are all parallel to each other and parallel to upper edge 72 of the carton 10.

core line 74 defines with upper edge 72 a flap section.

76. Score line 78 defines with score line 74 a flap section 80. Score line 82 defines with score-lines 78 a flap section 84. Outer edge 86 of flap 70 defines with score line 82 a flap section 88. Formed in flap section 76-is an opening 90 and in flap section 80 an opening. 92.

I Openings 90 and 92 are of the same size: and are centrally located in their respective flap sections.

Flap sections 76 and 80 are of identical width. Flap section 84 has the same width as the combined widths of flap sections 76 and 80, which is also the same width as the distance between front wall 12 andrear wall 14 of carton 10.

In the normal position-of the fiap,-fiap sections 76 and 80 are folded along upper edge 72 at a right angle to rear wall 14 and sections 84 and 88 are foldedv along score line 78 at a right angle to sections 76and 80. In

this normal position, flap sections 76 and 80 combine to provide the closure for the end of carton 10 while sections 84 and 88 are tucked inside front wall 12 bearing against the inner surface 94 thereof.

' In the second position of the cover flap asshown in Figs. 6 and 7, flap sections 76 and 80* are folded upon each other to form an upstanding hanging shoulder 96 with openings 90 and 92in registry with each other. Section 84 then forms the 'top closure for the upper end of carton 10 and section 88 tucks inside the front wall 12, as shown in Fig. 7. This arrangement provides a means from which to suspend carton 10, while at the same time providing a top closure for the upper end of the carton so as not to expose the contents thereof. Openings 90 and 92 allow the carton to be suspended from a nail or similar fastener.

Fig. 8 shows a type of article which may be stacked in carton 10 to realize the full utility of the invention. Box 98 is rectangular and may contain any object, such as a roll of film. Area 100 on box 98 is provided for marking the price or other code relating to the object contained in box 98. When a plurality of boxes 98 are stacked in carton 10, as shown in Fig. 6, they are arranged so that each area 100 on boxes 98 is in alignment with one registry of openIngs 102 and areas allows a retailer to mark the price or other code on the boxes 98 in areas 100 without removing the boxes from the carton.

Fig. 5 shows additional features of this invention. .Side walls 16 and 18 have been cut away at 106 and 108, respectively, to form an opening with slot 110 in top wall 12 to provide a suitableopening from which boxes 98 may be dispensed when the carton is in a vertical position. In addition, Fig. 5 shows a partial view of a window 112 which may be provided in the front wall 12 in carton 10 so that boxes 98 may be visible to customers while carton 10 is suspended on a display board or building wall from hanging shoulder 96, thereby providing a desirable display and dispensing carton.

Although a specificembodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that it is but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scopeof the upper edge of the rear wall, said cover fiap extending upwardly from said upper edge in the plane of said rear wall and having first, second and third score lines and an outer edge spaced successively upwardly from, and parallel to, said upperedge; said opposed front and rear walls, said upper edge and second score line, and said second and third score lines all being equally spaced, said upperedge and said first score line defining a first cover flap section, said first and second scorelines defining a second cover flap sectIon, saidsecond and third score lines defining a third cover flap section, and said third score line and said outer edge defining a fourth cover flap section; in a first position of said cover flap, said first and second sections being foldable downwardly alongsaid upper edge at a right angle to said rear wall,

and said third section being foldable downwardly along said second scoreline at a right angle to said first and second sections to provide a closure for the upper end upwardly along said second score line at a right angle to said first and second sections, and said fourth section being foldable downwardly along said third score line at a right angle to said third section, said third and fourth sections, providing a closure for the upper end of said carton and said first and second sections pro- .viding. an upwardly extending shoulder from which to suspend said carton.

2. t A carton as defined in claim 1 wherein the distance between said upper edge, and said firstscore line is equal to the distance between said first and second score lines, and said first and second cover fiapsections are each provided with an opening, the openings registering with each other when said second section is folded to overlie said first section'in said second position of said cover fiap.

3. In a carton as defined in claim 1, said rear wall having a'plurality of openings extending the height thereof to expose vertically spaced areas of the contents of said carton.

1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,501,134 Osburn July 15, 1924 2,293,342 Inman Aug. 18, 1942 2,765,906 Rossurn Oct. 9, 1956 

